Big Shoes
by xoxo Cherie
Summary: As Leo grows more and more frustrated while building the Argo II, maybe a visit from one of his older siblings will help him out of his slump. Family fic.


Disclaimer:** I do not own _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_, or _The Heroes of Olympus._**

* * *

"Ugh! No!" Leo hurled the wrench he was holding into the depths of Bunker Nine.

"Leo? What's wrong?" His half-brother, Jake, ran towards him from where he'd been working on the other side of the bunker.

He let out a frustrated groan. "Nothing is going right! The engine should've been finished two days ago, and now I have another setback!" He kicked a stray part lying on the ground so it sailed in the same direction as where his wrench had landed.

"Leo," Jake started, "you haven't had a full night of sleep since you started working on the ship. Don't you think you need a break?"

Jake placed his hand on Leo's shoulder, trying to be reassuring, but Leo shrugged it off.

"I don't have time for a break, Jake! We only a have a few months left before this thing needs to be done, and there's still so much that we have to do!"

Leo brought his grease-smeared hands up to his face dejectedly.

"Hey, it's almost midnight. You can't keep working like this, or you'll crash. Come on. Let's get back to the cabin."

Letting out another sigh, Leo took his hands from his face.

"You go ahead," he said, calmer now. "I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

Jake gave him a worried glance before nodding and heading towards the large metal bunker doors.

When Leo was alone, he attempted to start working again, but Jake had been right when he had told him he needed a break. His vision was blurring and his eyelids felt heavy as lead.

Maybe a short nap wouldn't hurt, he convinced himself. Leo sat on a little makeshift bunk to the side of the half-finished boat. When his head hit the pillow, sleep consumed him instantly.

* * *

Leo had never been too fond of dreams. Most of the dreams he had were nightmares. Usually, they had to do with the gods or Gaea's attempts to wake. He'd been having these dreams more frequently as of late, which was one of the reasons why he hadn't been sleeping as often. Sometimes he'd have the same nightmare multiple times.

Tonight, however, the scenery was foreign to him. He was in a grassy field. The sun was shining and he could've sworn that he could feel the warmth on his skin. Everything was so vivid, which was also unlike his usual dreams. Most of the time there'd be an ominous fog or darkness obscuring everything. Here, everything was in plain sight. There were trees and flowers and if he looked up, the clouds were white and fluffy, like perfect cotton balls.

Leo finally noticed that he was by himself. He thought it was strange that he was alone, and was suddenly on alert for crazy Titanesses or other immortal beings and monsters.

"Hi."

The voice came from right behind him. Leo was so startled that he thought if he hadn't been dreaming, he would've had a heart attack.

Leo turned quickly and came face-to-chest with someone. He chanced a look at the owner of the chest and felt like he was going to have a real heart attack this time. Initially, Leo thought that the person in front of him was a grown man, but upon a closer look, he realized it was a teenager. He was African American, with ripped muscles so Leo could see his biceps straining against his T-shirt. He looked maybe eighteen or nineteen years old, and had a smile on his face, but that didn't help to calm Leo's nerves.

When Leo didn't speak up, the guy spoke again. "Hi," he repeated, "I'm Beckendorf."

Leo's jaw dropped as he looked up at the teenager. "_The_ Charles Beckendorf?" he asked, starstruck. "Dude, you're, like, _legendary_!"

Beckendorf let out a laugh, low and rumbling. He had a friendly grin on his face as he looked down at Leo.

"Legendary? I wouldn't really call myself that. I'm not that much different from you."

Leo took a moment to take in Beckendorf's tall and hulking figure. Then, he looked down at his own short and scrawny stature.

"Uh, I'm not trying to disagree with you, Mr. Beckendorf, sir, but I'm kinda having a hard time seeing the similarities between us."

Beckendorf placed one of his huge hands on Leo's shoulder. Leo supposed it was supposed to be comforting, or friendly, but he had a feeling those hands were capable of packing a pretty hard punch. And he did not want to be on the receiving end of it.

"Leo, you and I might not necessarily look the same, but we're both sons of Hephaestus. We have the same talents; building and creating. And I think you're even braver than everyone thinks I was."

Leo gazed at Beckendorf incredulously. "Me braver than you? You're kidding, right? You went on a dangerous mission, and took down all of Kronos's cronies on the Princess Andromeda! You sacrificed your life so you could save Olympus and the rest of the world! There's no way I could ever be braver than you. You left us some pretty big shoes to fill."

Another smile was on Beckendorf's face. It seemed sad, but hopeful too.

"Aren't you doing the same exact thing as I was? You're spending all of your time and effort on this boat so you can help your friends and save the world, right? You went on a dangerous quest, reopened Bunker Nine, and you're leading our siblings. Like I said, we aren't that different."

A feeling of dread began to creep into Leo's chest.

"But what if I can't do it? What if I fail and I can't finish the boat, or I can't help my friends?"

Beckendorf squeezed Leo's shoulder. "I know you can do it, Leo. You're a special kid. and you're really brave too. Not to mention there's a fire inside of you." He winked and patted him on the shoulder. "I think my time's gonna be up soon. Remember, you can do this Leo. I know you can. Everyone at camp believes in you."

Suddenly, it felt like a weight lifted off of Leo's shoulders. All the problems that had been weighing him down felt like they were beginning to solve themselves.

Leo gave Beckendorf a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem, little bro. Maybe I'll catch you again sometime."

It looked like Beckendorf was making to leave, when suddenly Leo stopped him.

"Wait! Before you go, I have to know." Beckendorf looked at Leo expectantly. "How did you end up with a daughter of Aphrodite as your girlfriend?"

Beckendorf gave him a puzzled look. "You're asking me for advice on girls?"

Leo shrugged sheepishly. "I could use some help in that department."

A chuckle escaped Beckendorf's lips. "I honestly have no idea. Girls are kinda crazy. But just being yourself worked out for me."

"That's easy for you to say! You look like a male model combined with a professional football player!"

"Trust me on this one, Leo. Be yourself and you'll find someone worth being with."

With a final wave, Beckendorf turned his back and faded into the sunlight. Then, everything went black.

* * *

When Leo woke up, he felt reenergized, like he was running on new batteries. Glancing at the digital clock on the wall, he noticed it was early in the morning. No one would be up yet. Stepping into the back of the bunker, he rummaged around before finally locating the wrench he'd thrown the night before. Gripping it tightly, a wave of motivation settled over him.

"I'll get this done, Beckendorf," Leo said to himself. "I promise." He felt a smile tugging at his lips.

And he set off to work.

* * *

**AN: So, the idea for this story has been on my mind for a while. I love Leo so much, and I was sad that he'd never be able to actually meet Beckendorf, so I made it happen! So here's some brotherly love for you guys. **

**I hope you liked it! Reviews are welcome and ****appreciated!**

**xoxo Cherie**


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